Rilakkuma's Theme Park Adventure

I flipped when I saw there was a second show.



Rilakkuma And Kaoru was one of the most pleasant, wonderful, and enjoyable shows I've ever seen so I stepped into this show with love and happiness and I don't think it was in vain. Spread over a short but sweet duration of 8 episodes, each about 15 minutes long, we follow the misadventures of Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, Kiiroitori, Kaoru, and young Tokio as they venture to a soon to be closing down amusement park and plans go awry. It's short, sweet, and cute. I really do not need much more than that. In terms of production, animation, and style I feel this didn't have as much of a budget as the first series but the vast majority of it is done very well. The colors pop, the animation is fluid, they throw in some traditional 2D animation for flashbacks, and the character designs are still great. It maybe didn't make me laugh as much as the first series, but whenever I did it was hard hyena-esque laughter, when something hit it just tickled my funny bone to the extreme. And you're not really gonna buy what I'm about to say here but it's true I swear. These episode cliffhangers got me more emotionally fuelled and loud than any television show I've seen in the past 5 years. Every single one. Like I was practically shaking my fist and wanting the next episode to start immediately. Probably just me but I don't care. Rilakkuma, still me hardcore. And I just have something to say here real quick man. I have never felt so personally and viciously attacked in my life, this show called me out, and the attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed. Seeing Rilakkuma be too tall or just too big for rides, no desire or initiative to do stuff unless food is involved and always in the mood for food, literally used as a bouncy castle to sit on, that's getting a bit personal to be perfectly honest. He's fragile, very fragile. Our returning cast are still brilliant, I fully took up just calling Korilakkuma "Baby" because...she is Baby and I would guard her forever. Poor Kaoru couldn't catch a break at all, in fact a lot goes wrong for everyone throughout this show. Not in a mean spirited or even depressing way of course, just things don't go as planned. Our characters get sidetracked, lost, spend the whole day trying to find each other, they try to help this nice young lady which flat out leads to a car chase where it sounds like Misirlou is kicking in, there's a conflict for each episode. Which is incredibly intentional because the new characters we meet who work at this amusement park have tribulations of their own but are reminded a few times that you can still have fun even if things don't happen the way you planned it. That's something I am really and truly taking away from this in my heart, I mean that's a fairly good life lesson. Quick sidebar, I was a bit surprised how much kinda spooky scary stuff was in this, I mean yes there was an episode devoted to scary stories in the last show, but even I was a little weirded out with some of the stuff presented. Of course it's more from a childlike perspective of something scary, rather than actual horrifying terror so that was interesting to say the least. I know it's not for everybody, it's pure innocent fluff, but God dang it I was a very happy, entertained, charmed bear, I mean boy watching this. What a splendid way to enjoy a chilly autumn day, get you some good food, comfy clothes, a place to lounge, and tune in. I give it 3.5 stars, 7.5/10!

Rilakkuma and Kaoru

Best show. BEST SHOW!

No show has the right to be this good! Rilakkuma And Kaoru takes three great loves of my life and makes something amazing with it, you got stop motion animation, japanese culture, and a unique take on the slice of life genre. It's such a pleasant, nice, even comforting series that you can watch on Netflix and the only bad thing I could ever say about is that it is too short. Literally every episode save the finale is barely over 10 minutes long and there's only 13 episodes, meaning you can watch the whole show in the span of a 2 hour movie. And you know what? I don't think there is a better enjoyment of 2 hours of your life. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this series. The animation is excellent, with at least one incredible atmospheric shot in each episode that's....oh! It's sublime! The characters are all memorable and very lovable, Kaoru is a middle aged woman who works at a company in Tokyo and inexplicably lives with a bear in a big blue apartment, actually two bears and a bird, and they just live their life. The whole season takes place over the course of a full year from the cherry blossom festival in springtime all the way to the winter season and then back again. Kaoru is just your average person, she works at an office most of the day and life kinda gets her down but she finds solace and love in her home with her roomates. Rilakkuma is a big ol' bear with a penchant for sleeping and eating, and I'm going to be real with you, if you ever wanted to know what I am like in my day to day life almost to the letter, it's Rilakkuma in this show. Like 95% of what he does and what he is like is me. In fact it's kinda scary how accurate it is to be really honest. Are you watching me japanese creators? Cause I love what you're doing. Then we have a slightly smaller bear named Korilakkuma who is kinda like the baby of the group and is absurdly adorable. And last but not least we have Kaoru's bird Kiiroitori who has been with Kaoru the longest and is an energetic bird who loves to clean and wander about. All these characters are immediately lovable and held very dear, and none of them act rude or be little brats, they all get along well and live their lives as friends. I also like how it's kind of it's own thing and there are little odd things and peculiar traits but you roll with it anyway. Like how no one bats an eye that a woman is living with two bears, or how she can understand the bears and her bird even though we never really get a translation of what they're saying, or why there's a zipper on the back of Rilakkuma I mean he's a real bear he just has changeable fur suits. Just little things like that do so much for the charm of the show. And that's what the show is, charming. I am so charmed by this show, I love how it balances sort of fantasy and reality because some things happen that happen in real life, like friends moving away, having to find a new home, how work can drain you, how sometimes you need to find work in order to live, but it's not you know crushing reality setting in and the more fantastical elements go away. It's just life, there's good, there's bad, there's outstanding victories and crushing defeats, but if you have more good memories and good days more than the bad then you come out on top when all is said and done. I could think of much much worse things to do with two hours of your life than watch this show. It is sweet, loving, charming, and a very good reminder that life isn't always that bad. It made me cry in the last episode but I assure you that it was tears of bittersweet joy. I am begging that somebody, anybody, everybody not only watches this show but wants more just as much as I do. I will no doubt be watching this show many, many, many times in the future. I give this show a sterling 12/10.